Want to take a cruise as a solo traveler? The bad news: With more lines, you could end up paying twice as much as someone traveling with a companion.
Most cruise ship cabins are designed for two people, and the cruise prices you see advertised for these cabins are per person, Based on double occupancy. This means these prices only apply to passengers sharing the cabin with a second paying passenger.
If you want to occupy one of the cabins alone, you’ll need to pay an additional fee, known in cruise industry lingo as a “single supplement.” Typically, this premium is 100%. In other words, even if you don’t have a second person in the cabin, you’ll pay the extra fee as if there was a second person.
Still, all is not lost if you are a single looking to experience life at sea. Spurred by growing demand, a growing number of cruise lines are adding staterooms designed specifically for solo travelers (whose pricing is, by definition, based on single occupancy). Some lines often offer lower single surcharges than others, or have single surcharges reduced or waived during promotions.
Of course, there’s more to a solo cruise than just a low price. Equally important to many people traveling alone is the opportunity to meet other like-minded solo travelers through meet-and-greets and group meals organized for solo cruises. Some cruise lines do this better than others.
With all of these criteria in mind—price, cabin options, and welcoming surroundings—I identified five lines that go the extra mile for solo-traveling cruisers. Here are my picks for the best cruise lines for solo travelers.
norwegian cruise line
Kudos to Norwegian Cruise Line for starting the trend of more single cabins on cruise ships. In 2010, the major cruise line debuted an entire area of smaller “studio” cabins on its then-new, 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic, with a total of 128 cabins. It became so popular that other series began to follow suit.
The Norwegian Epic’s single cabins are just 100 square feet, but are beautifully designed to maximize storage space and are spread around the exclusive studio lounge. The hotel has a bar and TV area, where solo travelers can attend a daily happy hour.
Norwegian has since added similar single-cabin areas with dedicated lounges on eight more ships, including its three newest ships, Norwegian Aqua, Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima. Norwegian Aqua has a 93-cabin single-occupancy complex spread over two decks, while the smaller Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima both have 73-cabin single-occupancy complexes.
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The larger Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Escape all have single-occupancy complexes with 82 cabins, while the two older ships – Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Escape – have single-occupancy areas with 59 cabins.
Norwegian also offers four single cabins on Pride of America in Hawaii.
Having sailed in one of the cabins on the Norwegian Epic aboard the Norwegian Epic, I can confidently declare that they are one of the coolest solo digs at sea. I especially love the futuristic Jetsons-esque design and colorful mood lighting.
There’s a big caveat with Norwegian’s single cabins: Although they have a window looking out onto the hallway, they’re mostly in cabins with no ocean view. The single cabin on the Bliss is equipped with virtual portholes, allowing you to view the outside world in real time through LED screens.
Perhaps, a bigger caveat is that these one-person cabins have become so popular, they often sell out well in advance, and the price isn’t much better than booking a two-person cabin.
RELATED: Why windowless cabins aren’t so bad
royal caribbean
In recent years, Royal Caribbean has taken a page from Norwegian Air’s playbook and added single cabins to both new and older ship classes. Notably, the company’s Quantum Class ships, which began debuting in 2014, offer up to 28 dedicated studio cabins ranging from 101 to 119 square feet.
Unlike most Norwegian single-family cabins, many of these cabins are sea-view rooms with balconies. Others have a virtual balcony that, at first glance, looks like a balcony but is actually just a digital screen that projects a live view of the outside. (This sounds corny, but it works.)
Other Royal Caribbean ships with single cabins include some of the company’s giant Oasis-class ships, including Symphony of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas. Several of Royal Caribbean’s older Voyager and Tejas class ships also have single cabins. But some of these ships only have two or three.
While there are no dedicated solo lounges for solo cabins on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, solo travelers can find Royal Caribbean hosted parties on board for solo travelers, which can be said to be a great way for solo travelers to find others on the same ship. There are also quite a few bars on Royal Caribbean ships, many with rows of seats, making them a great place to find other solo travelers.
Additionally, Royal Caribbean cruises are known for their variety of onboard activities, from large shows to rock climbing walls and surf pools, that you can enjoy as a solo traveler.
Silversea Cruises
Unlike Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises, Silversea Cruises has not created specific cabin categories for solo travelers. But the luxury cruise line is known for catering to their needs, charging only a single surcharge of 10% to 25% on some flights. Sometimes, during short-term promotions, the company will even waive the single surcharge entirely.
Silversea Cruises also hosts a welcome reception for solo travelers at the beginning of each cruise to kick off the bonding process.
Silversea Cruises, which operates relatively small, intimate ships that can only carry a few hundred passengers, is known for attracting a social crowd that likes to mingle, especially at dinner time, which is a boon for people like me who don’t like to eat alone.
Head to the main lounge before dinner on a Silversea cruise ship, and there’s a good chance you’ll be pulled into conversation with a group of complete strangers extending invitations to dinner. This has happened so many times on Silversea cruises that I almost believe it will happen.
Related: 6 Reasons Why You’ll Want to Book a Balcony Cabin on Your Next Cruise
On Silversea Cruises’ expedition sailings, you can also dine with passengers in communal dining spaces with onboard naturalists and expedition guides. In my experience, they are always willing to have a friendly dining companion and some good conversation.
virgin voyage
Of course, the rebellious Virgin Voyages cruise line, backed by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, has always appealed to entertainment enthusiasts of all ages. Its four ships – Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady – each feature 46 cabins designed for the solitary traveler. That’s a big number for a ship with only 1,330 cabins in total.
We haven’t sailed in one of these single rooms yet, but based on what we saw when we visited one of the rooms on the Scarlet Lady, they might be the coolest single rooms around.
Single occupancy accommodation on each Virgin Voyages ship consists of 40 single, windowless, 105-square-foot interior rooms. These stylish rooms feature full-size beds, large flat-screen TVs, curved vanities and high-design bathrooms. There are six similar-looking single ocean-view cabins on each ship, approximately 130 square feet in size and with windows.
Please note that single cabins with windows are located at the front of the boat, facing forward. While it’s a spectacular place to visit, experienced cruisers know that this place can be rough on the cabin in rough seas. I like to move around a bit when cruising (how else do you know you’re at sea?), but if you don’t, consider yourself warned.
Meanwhile, for solo travelers, you’ll find Virgin’s lively bar vibe and adult-focused atmosphere ideal for solo travelers who want to meet other single travelers. Since children under 18 are prohibited, you won’t find families with children on this route. Solo travelers, couples and groups of friends all want to have a good time and socialize with their shipmates on board.
RELATED: The 5 Most Desirable Cabin Locations on a Ship
Tucker
Solo travelers looking for an upscale river cruise can often find deals from Tauck, a high-end travel company with a European cruise division. It sells nearly a dozen river vessels.
Tauck often eliminates the single surcharge entirely on its cheapest cabin class (Category 1) and reduces the single surcharge on other cabin classes (savings of up to $1,000 in a given class).
On board, Tauck Cruise Directors take special care of solo travelers, and communal tables during meals make it easy to get to know other travelers.
Solo cruisers can find others at the bar (and don’t worry about bar fees—drinks are included), or when they tire of socializing, escape to a quiet sundeck with a book. Daily shore excursions and excursions are included, so you always have a group of people ready to explore the land with you.
River cruises are often a good option for solo travelers, as other river routes sometimes waive or significantly reduce single-person surcharges. Avalon Waterways is waiving the single surcharge for certain cabins on select European cruise departures, and AmaWaterways only charges a single surcharge of 25% for solo travelers booking non-suite cabins. The company also owns four ships in Europe, each with two dedicated single cabins and carrying no supplements.
bottom line
As someone who often sails alone, when writing about ships, I find that smaller ships are generally better suited to mixing and socializing than larger ships, so they are a good choice for solo travelers who want to meet other people.
On a small boat, you’ll see the same people over and over again – on tour, in the lounge and around the pool. This increases the likelihood that you’ll strike up a conversation and become friends quickly. On a large ship carrying thousands of passengers, you may not see the same person twice for days.
Lines operating smaller ships are also more likely to offer discounts to solo travelers, resulting in a higher proportion of personal cruises on board. That said, in most cases, lines operating larger ships offer the most dedicated single cabins. They also offer more onboard activities, from Broadway-style shows to rock-climbing walls, that you can enjoy without a companion.
Not that you should worry too much about making friends at sea. Generally speaking, cruisers are social people. In fact, many passengers took the boat specifically to meet other people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been sitting alone in a corner of a cruise ship lounge, minding my own business, when another passenger (or two or five) stops and starts talking.
Whether you choose one of our top cruise lines for solo travelers or another that suits your preferences, you’re sure to have a great time, no matter how much alone time you want.
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